As is known in the art, a cursor on a computer screen can be used to input commands into a computer. The cursor contains a hot point that indicates the location of the cursor itself. A user can input commands to move the cursor on the screen, thus moving the hot point, by using keyboard arrow keys or a pointing device such as a mouse or trackball.
By moving the cursor and placing the hot point on a particular portion of the screen, commands can be entered into the computer. For example, a computer may have a software program that includes pull-down menus. By placing the hot point of the cursor on a pull-down menu and actuating or "clicking" a switch or button (usually on the pointing device) once, a menu is displayed on the screen from which a user may enter commands. Similarly, by placing the hot point of the cursor on an icon, file name, menu selection, or other object on the screen and clicking the button once, a command can be entered to open or act upon a file or application program that is represented by the icon, file name, menu selection or other object. This method of command selection is commonly known as "point and click" and is commonly performed using computer pointing devices such as mice or trackballs. Overall, the point-and-click method of command selection allows users to more easily operate computers.
In another method of command selection, a user places the hot point of the cursor on an object on the screen and rapidly actuates the button twice or "double clicks." This double-click method of command input provides another command to the computer instructing the computer to act upon the object. For example, a particular software application may be represented by an icon on the screen. A user may initiate or launch the software application by placing the hot point of the cursor on the icon, and while holding the hot point thereon, double clicking the mouse button.
The computer, under direction of operating system software, includes an established time period within which the two button actuations of a double click must occur (.i.e., the "double-click speed"). If the user wishes to employ the double-click command on a particular object on the screen, the user must twice actuate the button within the established time period. If the user double clicks the button too slowly, the computer will not interpret such double clicking as the desired double-click command. Users frequently have difficulty double clicking the button on the pointing device within the established time period.
Some software methods are available that allow a user to adjust the double-click speed. One or these prior methods includes three selectable time periods allowing the user to adjust the double-click speed between slow, medium and fast speeds. Other prior methods such as the mouse manager routine provided in Version 3 of the MICROSOF.RTM. WINDOWS.TM. operating system, manufactured by Microsoft Corporation, provides for a variable double-click speed adjustable by the user by means of a slider bar that can be positioned between slow and fast double-click speed positions. Some of these prior methods also provide visual feedback to the user to indicate the double-click speed selected by the user.
Users, however, are often unable to determine if the double-click speed which they have selected is appropriate liar their particular rate of double clicking the button on the pointing device. For the prior method that provides three selectable time periods, users may double click at a particular rate between the three speeds provided. For the prior method that provides variable speeds, users can only set the double-click speed to their particular rate based on a series of trial and error attempts. Additionally, the users' double-click speed may change over a period of time while they use the computer, and thus the previously set double-click speed may no longer be sufficient for their changed speed.
A computer, under direction of the operating system software, also includes an established area within which the hot point can move during the time period for the computer to interpret the user's input as a double-click command. For example, for a user to enter commands into the computer under the double-click command, the hot point of the cursor must be placed on a particular icon and the cursor remain almost stationary while the button is double clicked. Typically, the established area is a small square area four pixels per side For computers employing a bitmap method of displaying images on the screen. If the user moves the cursor outside of the established area during an attempt to employ the double-click command, the computer will recognize the user's input as some input other than the double-click command. No prior method apparently, provides a means for adjusting the area within which the hot point can move during the double-click command.